Ambassador can help to advance the relationship even during contentious moments, and the consequences of managing the relationship directly between the White House and Los Pinos or the Palacio Nacional rather than via the ambassador. [...] If so, and thanks to the work and commitment of the author, the Mexico Institute will have fulfilled its mission to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States. [...] In 1978, with the purpose of developing a comprehensive approach toward Mexico, the White House ordered the most ambitious secret review ever of United States policy toward Mexico.3 With the participation of 14 federal agencies and up to 48 officials, the goal was to develop a “centralized and coordinated” focus on the main problems affecting the United States’ relations with Mexico. [...] The fact is that we were in the process in the legislature of passing the budget, and I felt that if I left for Mexico and the budget hadn’t been passed that it might be very hard to get it through with the recommendations that I made to the legislature. [...] What were the issues the United States was most concerned with during the state visit? I think that Mexico was very excited about the fact that with the deeper drilling they were a major exporter of petroleum, and their ability to ship petroleum and natural gas to the United States was a matter of great pride to them.
- Pages
- 268
- Published in
- Canada
